The present invention relates to an adapter for attachment to a lower portion of a magazine for a firearm. In particular, the present invention relates to a magazine base skirt for attachment to a magazine wherein the magazine is longer than the magazine well in the firearm stock or grip into which the magazine is inserted.
With the popularity of competitive target shooting with firearms, rapid-fire firearm target shooting activities have become a significantly important aspect of these type of shooting events. More particularly, considerable interest has developed toward the provision of having firearms with increased round capacity, as compared to the standard 1911 A1 firearm which, in 0.45 caliber ACP, typically has a magazine capacity of only seven rounds or eight.
In response to the problem of increased round capacity, there are a number of autoloading firearm designs being presently marketed which employ staggered-row cartridge enhanced capacity magazines wherein the frame of the firearm construction has a handgrip and magazine receptacle of sufficiently large internal dimension that larger, staggered row magazines can be received for enhanced round capacity. However, recently passed Federal regulations limit the amount of rounds that may be loaded into these type of firearms.
Therefore, there is a need for an extended magazine having increased round capacity that may be safely inserted into a standard autoloading firearm such as a government model or the Colt Model 1911 A1 firearm without damaging the firearm's interworking parts and without having to redesign the firearm, yet conforms to Federal regulations by disabling the magazine when a user attempts to insert more cartridges than allowed by law.
The subject invention herein solves all of these problems in a new and unique manner which has not been part of the art previously. Some related patents are described below:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,708 discusses a frame/handgrip assembly for autoloading handguns comprising a metal frame structure having guide rails for receiving a conventional slide and for receiving other standard 1911 A1 components. The frame structure defines an internal handgrip having one or more internal keys for establishing mating, interlocked structural relationships with opposed handgrip seats. The frame and handgrip structure may cooperatively define a wide internal magazine receptacle for receiving a wide staggered row, enhanced volume cartridge magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,282 discusses a grip assembly having a pair of side grips and a heel grip. Each side grip has a plurality of inwardly directed projections arranged to conform to the outline of a frame. The heel grip includes a leaf spring and opposite lateral edges which engage the side grips in final assembly to lock the rear edges of the side grips against movement laterally outwardly from the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,281 discusses a cartridge magazine for storing cartridges that may be used with a plurality of firearms. More particularly for use with the Colt M16/AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14/AC 556 styles of firearms. The cartridge magazine includes a number of different latch-related elements for use in engaging different cartridge magazine latching mechanisms found on each style of firearm. A positioning member located on the magazine assists alignment of the cartridges during loading into the firearm so that jamming of the cartridges is eliminated.
While the basic concepts presented in the aforementioned patents are desirable, none of the apparatus employed by each produce a skirt/magazine assembly for a firearm capable safe insertion into the stock of the firearm and for disabling the magazine when a user attempts to exceed the cartridge capacity.